Auto Retention Lock Labels for Flexible Backup File Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic retention locking (ARL) systems are limited by the restriction of having only one default lock period for a filesystem or directory tree, leading to inefficiencies and management overhead, and lack flexibility in extending lock durations for individual files.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dynamic ARL policies that allow multiple ARL labels with different retention lock periods and cooling periods, which are applied to groups of files using ARL labels stored in a label database, enabling fine-grained control and reducing management overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If automatic retention locking is applied per-file basis, then flexibility in lock periods is improved, but processing efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments files into groups based on common retention lock requirements and applies a single lock policy to each group rather than processing each file individually. This is achieved by identifying files with similar retention periods and grouping them together, then applying the lock policy once to the group representative, which reduces processing overhead while maintaining per-group flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple per-file lock processing operations into a single per-group lock policy application. By combining files with identical or similar retention requirements into groups and applying one lock policy to the group, the system achieves the flexibility of individual file control without the processing cost of evaluating each file separately.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple ARL labels are implemented, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal lock policy structure that can handle multiple retention periods through a single framework. The lock policy is designed to be multi-functional, supporting different retention durations, cooling periods, and extension capabilities within one unified system, rather than requiring separate mechanisms for each lock type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes to manage complexity. Instead of implementing fundamentally different mechanisms for different lock periods, the system varies parameters such as retention duration, cooling period, and extension settings within a consistent lock policy framework. This allows multiple lock periods to be managed through parameter configuration rather than structural complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If per-file metadata processing is performed, then lock precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the metadata processing task by identifying files that share common retention lock requirements and processing them as a group rather than individually. This segmentation allows the system to determine lock parameters once for the group and apply them to all member files, reducing processing time while maintaining precise lock control for each group.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary grouping of files by retention requirements before applying lock policies. By pre-identifying which files belong to which retention groups, the system can efficiently apply lock metadata to entire groups in a single operation rather than processing each file sequentially, thereby reducing overall processing time while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible retention lock system defines, as attributes, an automatic retention lock (ARL) period specifying an amount of time to lock the file, and a cooling (COP) period specifying an amount of time within the first ARL after which the file will be locked if no modifications are made to the file during the first COP. These attributes are assigned an ARL label ID. These attributes are then attached to the file using the ARL label ID and are stored with the file metadata upon creation of the file, with the ARL label stored in a label database for convenient lookup. The backup application attaches the ID to a protection policy during creation of the protection policy, and sends the ID during a backup session to automatically set a lock on the files, where the lock conforms to the ARL period and COP period.